Question 1

Which of the following could represent the linear flow of energy within a food web?

Accepted Answer

A) wolves, lions, and cheetahs 
B) grass, bushes, and trees 
C) lettuce, rabbits, and foxes 
D) sheep, cows, and horses 
A) wolves, lions, and cheetahs 
B) grass, bushes, and trees 
C) lettuce, rabbits, and foxes 
D) sheep, cows, and horses

Question 2

A(n) ________ may begin when a new habitat is formed, such as when rock and soil are deposited by a retreating glacier.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A(n) ________ may begin when a new...

Question 3

The activity of predators has caused their prey to evolve a variety of protective characteristics. How are prey able to acquire new features?

Accepted Answer

A) Prey selectively breed in order to increase the frequency of protective traits in their population. 
B) Prey undergo population explosions that allow them to outnumber their predators and thus develop new protective features. 
C) Prey organisms mate with other species in order to acquire new protective traits. 
D) Natural selection acts on genetic variability already present in the prey population. 
A) Prey selectively breed in order to increase the frequency of protective traits in their population. 
B) Prey undergo population explosions that allow them to outnumber their predators and thus develop new protective features. 
C) Prey organisms mate with other species in order to acquire new protective traits. 
D) Natural selection acts on genetic variability already present in the prey population.

Question 4

Clown fish have evolved to live safely between the stinging tentacles of certain sea anemones. The fish receive protection from predators, whereas anemone receive some food from the fish. This relationship is an example of

Accepted Answer

A) commensalism. 
B) consumer interaction. 
C) competitive limitation. 
D) mutualism. 
A) commensalism. 
B) consumer interaction. 
C) competitive limitation. 
D) mutualism.

Question 5

The total number of different species living within a community is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A) an ecological community. 
B) species richness. 
C) relative species abundance. 
D) keystone species. 
A) an ecological community. 
B) species richness. 
C) relative species abundance. 
D) keystone species.

Question 6

The ________ of a community has two components: the number of different species that live in the community, and the relative abundances of those species.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ of a community has two...

Question 7

Compare and contrast exploitative and interference competition.

Accepted Answer

Exploitative and interference competitio

Question 8

Which of the following can occur when the climate of an area changes?

Accepted Answer

A) Natural selection usually causes the community to adapt and survive the change with little visible effect. 
B) That area becomes uninhabitable to all species and is abandoned. 
C) That community may relocate to an area with a climate similar to that of the original location. 
D) Continental drift restores communities to climates similar to those from which the communities came. 
A) Natural selection usually causes the community to adapt and survive the change with little visible effect. 
B) That area becomes uninhabitable to all species and is abandoned. 
C) That community may relocate to an area with a climate similar to that of the original location. 
D) Continental drift restores communities to climates similar to those from which the communities came.

Question 9

Follicle mites live in the hair follicles of human skin. They feed on single cells but do little if any harm to the human; the mite has a stable place to live and reproduce. This is an example of ________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Follicle mites live in the hair follicles...

Question 10

Which of the following symbols represents a mutualistic relationship?

Accepted Answer

A) +/- 
B) +/+ 
C) o/+ 
D) -/- 
A) +/- 
B) +/+ 
C) o/+ 
D) -/-

Question 11

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Accepted Answer

A) Predators can restrict the distribution of their prey. 
B) Predators can cause the abundance of their prey to rise. 
C) Predators can quickly alter the behavior of their prey. 
D) Predators can drive their prey to extinction. 
A) Predators can restrict the distribution of their prey. 
B) Predators can cause the abundance of their prey to rise. 
C) Predators can quickly alter the behavior of their prey. 
D) Predators can drive their prey to extinction.

Question 12

Which of the following best explains why a grass species might disappear when a meat-eating species is removed from a community?

Accepted Answer

A) The meat-eating species protects grass directly as a way to provide cover for themselves while stalking their prey. 
B) The grass seeds are dispersed by meat eaters who travel long distances and deposit grass seeds in their feces. 
C) The meat-eating species eats organisms that eat grass. Removing the meat-eater allows an increase in the abundance of grass-eating organisms. 
D) The loss of meat-eaters from a community typically causes drastic changes in the physical environment that prevent grasses from sprouting. 
A) The meat-eating species protects grass directly as a way to provide cover for themselves while stalking their prey. 
B) The grass seeds are dispersed by meat eaters who travel long distances and deposit grass seeds in their feces. 
C) The meat-eating species eats organisms that eat grass. Removing the meat-eater allows an increase in the abundance of grass-eating organisms. 
D) The loss of meat-eaters from a community typically causes drastic changes in the physical environment that prevent grasses from sprouting.

Question 13

A measurement of how common one species is compared to another species is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A) an ecological community. 
B) species richness. 
C) relative species abundance. 
D) keystone species. 
A) an ecological community. 
B) species richness. 
C) relative species abundance. 
D) keystone species.

Question 14

The photograph shown depicts two brightly colored butterfly species, the monarch on the right and its mimic, the viceroy, on the left. The mimicry by the viceroy allows it to

Accepted Answer

A) exploit food resources otherwise available only to monarchs. 
B) find mates among available monarchs. 
C) avoid predation because the monarch will make the birds vomit. 
D) find locations for laying eggs that are only available to monarchs. 
A) exploit food resources otherwise available only to monarchs. 
B) find mates among available monarchs. 
C) avoid predation because the monarch will make the birds vomit. 
D) find locations for laying eggs that are only available to monarchs.

Question 15

The figure shown illustrates how, although pines first established themselves as the dominant tree in the Lake Michigan sand dune community, black oaks ultimately become the dominant species. What best explains the gradual reduction of the pine?

Accepted Answer

A) Oaks trap sand, causing the dune to level out; pines can only survive in the low, protected areas between the dunes. 
B) Pine needles and the shade from existing pines improve the soil composition and moisture, allowing oaks to become established and preventing new pines from surviving. 
C) Pines replace the grasses but this destabilizes the dune and increases the amount of moving sand. The loss of pines is not related to the presence of the oaks. 
D) Actually oak seeds were always present in the sand; they simply require more time to germinate. 
A) Oaks trap sand, causing the dune to level out; pines can only survive in the low, protected areas between the dunes. 
B) Pine needles and the shade from existing pines improve the soil composition and moisture, allowing oaks to become established and preventing new pines from surviving. 
C) Pines replace the grasses but this destabilizes the dune and increases the amount of moving sand. The loss of pines is not related to the presence of the oaks. 
D) Actually oak seeds were always present in the sand; they simply require more time to germinate.

Question 16

Pathogens are considered a special type of parasite because they

Accepted Answer

A) invariably kill their prey. 
B) affect specific portions of the host. 
C) cause disease in their hosts. 
D) live on or in the host organism. 
A) invariably kill their prey. 
B) affect specific portions of the host. 
C) cause disease in their hosts. 
D) live on or in the host organism.

Question 17

Which of the following is a true statement?

Accepted Answer

A) Primary succession occurs after disturbances, such as forest fires. 
B) Secondary succession only occurs after human intervention. 
C) Primary succession tends to take a longer period of time than secondary succession. 
D) It typically takes 25 years or less for a climax community to develop after a disturbance. 
A) Primary succession occurs after disturbances, such as forest fires. 
B) Secondary succession only occurs after human intervention. 
C) Primary succession tends to take a longer period of time than secondary succession. 
D) It typically takes 25 years or less for a climax community to develop after a disturbance.

Question 18

Antibiotic therapy sometimes reduces the population of gut-inhabiting microorganisms. Bloating and diarrhea often follow until the populations reestablish themselves. This observation suggests that these microorganisms participate in a(n) ________ relationship with humans.

Accepted Answer

A) competitive 
B) exploitative 
C) mutualistic 
D) pathogenic 
A) competitive 
B) exploitative 
C) mutualistic 
D) pathogenic

Question 19

Which example best illustrates interference competition?

Accepted Answer

A) Soil levels of potassium are gradually reduced by the hemlocks and cedars in a climax forest. 
B) The growth of starling populations usually coincides with declines in songbirds because both use abandoned cavities for nesting. 
C) When larger animals become scarce, wolves often prey on mice, reducing their availability to coyotes. 
D) Rough-skinned newts contain enough toxin in their skin glands to kill almost any predator. 
A) Soil levels of potassium are gradually reduced by the hemlocks and cedars in a climax forest. 
B) The growth of starling populations usually coincides with declines in songbirds because both use abandoned cavities for nesting. 
C) When larger animals become scarce, wolves often prey on mice, reducing their availability to coyotes. 
D) Rough-skinned newts contain enough toxin in their skin glands to kill almost any predator.

Question 20

The sea star Pisaster ochraceus is a keystone species. Ten years after P. ochraceus is removed from selected intertidal communities along the Washington coast, how might those communities compare to control communities?

Accepted Answer

A) The communities would be statistically indistinguishable from one another. 
B) Sea star prey, such as mussels might increase in abundance and crowd out other community members. 
C) Other predators will simply replace P. ochraceus and take advantage of prey that P. ochraceus consumed. 
D) Prey species, such as mussels would decline, but most species within the community would be unaffected. 
A) The communities would be statistically indistinguishable from one another. 
B) Sea star prey, such as mussels might increase in abundance and crowd out other community members. 
C) Other predators will simply replace P. ochraceus and take advantage of prey that P. ochraceus consumed. 
D) Prey species, such as mussels would decline, but most species within the community would be unaffected.

Exam 17: Communities of Organisms

Which of the following could represent the linear flow of energy within a food web?

A(n) ________ may begin when a new habitat is formed, such as when rock and soil are deposited by a retreating glacier.

The activity of predators has caused their prey to evolve a variety of protective characteristics. How are prey able to acquire new features?

Clown fish have evolved to live safely between the stinging tentacles of certain sea anemones. The fish receive protection from predators, whereas anemone receive some food from the fish. This relationship is an example of

The total number of different species living within a community is referred to as

The ________ of a community has two components: the number of different species that live in the community, and the relative abundances of those species.

Compare and contrast exploitative and interference competition.

Which of the following can occur when the climate of an area changes?

Follicle mites live in the hair follicles of human skin. They feed on single cells but do little if any harm to the human; the mite has a stable place to live and reproduce. This is an example of ________.

Which of the following symbols represents a mutualistic relationship?

Which of the following statements is FALSE?

Which of the following best explains why a grass species might disappear when a meat-eating species is removed from a community?

A measurement of how common one species is compared to another species is referred to as

The photograph shown depicts two brightly colored butterfly species, the monarch on the right and its mimic, the viceroy, on the left. The mimicry by the viceroy allows it to

The figure shown illustrates how, although pines first established themselves as the dominant tree in the Lake Michigan sand dune community, black oaks ultimately become the dominant species. What best explains the gradual reduction of the pine?

Pathogens are considered a special type of parasite because they

Which of the following is a true statement?

Antibiotic therapy sometimes reduces the population of gut-inhabiting microorganisms. Bloating and diarrhea often follow until the populations reestablish themselves. This observation suggests that these microorganisms participate in a(n) ________ relationship with humans.

Which example best illustrates interference competition?

The sea star Pisaster ochraceus is a keystone species. Ten years after P. ochraceus is removed from selected intertidal communities along the Washington coast, how might those communities compare to control communities?

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